Nalia struggled against the chains that bound her to the chair. She knew it was pointless to fight anymore. At this very moment, her fate was being decided by Visharan. It sickened her that the very one that she had trusted with her heart was now persecuting her.
Nalia stared at the door as she heard armored footsteps approach. Visharan. Even thinking his name left a pit in her stomach. She felt foolish for falling in love with him. He was the King of the Glory. The Great Dragon King that had ruled for a thousand years. Beyond all that she had fooled herself into believing he loved her.
At first he seemed warm and caring, exuding a light that she had believed was just for her. It felt impossible for it to all have been a lie. Yet, she knew it was. That light vanished in an instant as soon as she had told him about her discovery. A darkness that had terrified Nalia to her core replaced its radiance.
"Nalia Falken, heiress to the Falken Line, your punishment has been decided by King Visharan and the Glorious Council." A voice boomed from behind the door. Shadows crept into the edges of Nalia's vision and her breathing became panicked. It wasn't her fate she was worried about.. It was her unborn child's fate she was most concerned with.
For one excruciating moment, there was nothing but silence.A sense of dread filled her. The opening of the chamber doors shattered the silence. Two large, heavily armored men entered the room. They grabbed the chair Nalia was bound to and lifted it. She struggled against the restraints once more. As she opened her mouth to scream, they shoved a white cloth into her mouth. She knew Visharan wouldn't allow her to defend herself.
The men brought her to the assembly hall where the Glorious Council convened. Panic spread across Nalia's face as the reality of the situation sunk in. Every single one of them had a look of contempt written across their face. The pressure from the Council's gaze made her want to vomit.
Visharan stepped into the light a few feet away from Nalia. With a wicked smile, he wove his web of lies. His words were a blur to her. None of it made any sense. He claimed Nalia was a temptress trying to gain access to the Valley of Shadows, the world between all worlds, where it was said creation itself is born. He continued his lie by stating that he had discovered her plot and confronted her.
Her eyes widened as the king spoke. Lies upon lies. He was dooming her to a fate far worse than death. They would cast her out into the ranks of the Nameless. Her name would be completely erased from the Glory, she would lose her nobility, and her aura would be sealed, thus removing her immortality. They would throw her into the Ruins of the Old City, doomed to an existence of isolation and fear. There was no way her child would survive in such a place.
She struggled against her bonds with tears streaming down her face, hatred burning in her eyes. Visharan smiled victoriously at her as they dragged Nalia out of the courtroom.
Nalia felt like she was falling for an eternity. Memories and emotions flashed through her head as she felt the wind rushing over her body. Her world was crashing down along with her until finally it shattered. She screamed out in pain as she felt her bones break on landing. Nalia hazily noticed two figures come up on each side of her. Her broken body ignored her pleas as she tried to move away.
"One will wanna see her for some healin'." The smaller figure to her left said. It sounded like the voice of an adolescent boy.
"Ya, I s'pose," a much rougher, male voice replied. Nalia felt two gigantic hands lift her up and unpleasantly toss her over the man's shoulder. Nalia gasped, the pain surged through her. Darkness crept across her vision as she lost consciousness.
The next thing Nalia remembered was waking up to an older woman wrapping a thick cloth around her body. "Wh- where am I?" she asked weakly, barely opening her eyes.
"My home, of course." The woman chuckled as she continued to wrap the cloth around Nalia's broken arm. Nalia felt confused. Why was this woman helping her? She had heard rumors that all Nameless were rabid animals, but this woman was tending to her wounds.
"Who are you?" Nalia asked. The old woman smiled and smacked her hard across the cheek. Nalia opened her mouth to protest, but the woman gently shushed her.
"No names here, child, not for you, me or anyone. We are all Seric down here. Using our given names is dangerous. Can get you killed with the wrong sorts. You will do well to remember that. If you need something to call me just call me One. I am the oldest, after all." The woman said kindly as she resumed wrapping the cloth. "You are with a child, no?"
"Y-yes" Nalia stammered, unsure of how One knew.
"Good, I will be here to help you. Children are a blessing, even down here. Do you know the father? Was he thrown down here as well?" One continued, ignoring her questioning look.
Nalia looked at the two Nameless behind One nervously. One nodded to her understandingly and smiled. "Could you two go looking to see if there was someone else that fell?"
"Yes, ma'am!" The two said in unison and quickly left.
"Now you may speak freely. No other ears than mine." One chuckled softly.
Nalia took a deep, pained breath and told One her story. The affair, and how she believed he would cherish her always. The King, and the hatred she felt for him as he had spun his web of lies. The pain and frustration that she felt through it all not being able to fight back. "The child is the son of Visharan." Tears burned her eyes, but Nalia was done crying. She had to be stronger now.
"Ah, that explains why they threw you, doesn't it? Hoping the baby would die in the landing, hm? Too bad for them you are so strong, no? Or maybe it is the Baby that is strong." One laughed softly to herself.
"I was Visharan's Seer once upon a time. Before he was King. On the day he slew his father, I foresaw his doom. The Doom of all the Glory's corruption. A glorious gray light that would outshine the Royals." One smiled as she laid a gentle hand on Nalia's stomach. "Protect this one."
"I- I will…" Nalia promised. "With my very soul if I have to." She whispered and stroked her belly gently.
Over the next few months the Nameless took Nalia in, teaching her how to survive in the Ruins and helping her prepare for the child. Until finally the day came when the child was born. After much consideration and protests from One, she gave him a name, Seric. He would be called what he was. He would be Nameless, yet Named. No one could take it from him.
Nalia looked down at her child with a soft smile. This tiny being was so fragile and small, and yet he had caused her descension into the Ruins. The reason she was left alone to die.
Yet, here was this tiny hand that grabbed hers so strongly, gave her reason to move forward. The giggles and smiles that she saw every day became the light in the darkness of her heart. She knew this is the reason she was here now, to take care of this child and protect him from any harm that may try to befall him. He was her world entirely, and that thought filled her heart with warmth as she held him close.
She could feel One's gaze lock on to the child. "Our Nameless King has been born. And with his strength the Crimson shall finally end."